Canon R5 and Flash

I have not used a flash/strobes for awhile but thought I would try it with the R5. I tried it with the Profoto A1 and Canon 600EX-RT.

With the Profoto I needed to adjust the FEC to -2 and with the Canon 600-EX-RT by about -1/3.

Has anyone used either the Canon speedlights or other brands with the R5 and perhaps give me some tips on the External Speedlight control settings?

Thank you

In order to help we might need more information like, mode, settings, how you are setting the actual exposure etc.

The actual scene can impact results greatly - is the background dark or light, how much of the frame is light or dark, are you going for low or high key?

Not had time to test out R5 with flash yet but I know getting things right with flash photography can sometime be tricky -

For example:

• 600 EX RT: Whilst Canon will say E-TTL work great most modes, it really works best in full manual mode (other modes work OK but never as well)
  • Basically let the camera quench the exposure when it has seen the required light (normal set mine to 1/200, or lower and best aperture for the lens, unless looking shallow depth of field required and let the flash do its work)
    • Works well even with multi - 600 EX RT setups
    • Pre-flash, may not notice it as it short/low power, takes care of getting exposure correct (it really uses this to preset exposure and fine control during exposure needs less corrections)
• Studio flash: alway use a flash meter or histogram to set exposure
  • Flash meter works best as it is an incident method not a reflective measure (which is what any camera based method is)

Tony D said:

In order to help we might need more information like, mode, settings, how you are setting the actual exposure etc.

Click to expand...

Manual mode with inanimate objects just to test. (Indoors) I had the R5 for almost 6 weeks but have not used flash yet. ETTL is not accurate with profoto but better with the 600EX-RT.

Tony D said:

The actual scene can impact results greatly - is the background dark or light, how much of the frame is light or dark, are you going for low or high key?

Click to expand...

I will test some more outdoors as soon as I can.

Tony D said:

Not had time to test out R5 with flash yet but I know getting things right with flash photography can sometime be tricky -

For example:

• 600 EX RT: Whilst Canon will say E-TTL work great most modes, it really works best in full manual mode (other modes work OK but never as well)
  • Basically let the camera quench the exposure when it has seen the required light (normal set mine to 1/200, or lower and best aperture for the lens, unless looking shallow depth of field required and let the flash do its work)
    • Works well even with multi - 600 EX RT setups
    • Pre-flash, may not notice it as it short/low power, takes care of getting exposure correct (it really uses this to preset exposure and fine control during exposure needs less corrections)
• Studio flash: alway use a flash meter or histogram to set exposure
  • Flash meter works best as it is an incident method not a reflective measure (which is what any camera based method is)

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. I should have posted with a question if anyone tried flash/strobes with the R5 and if there were any issues.
I was dialed in with my 1Dx and these flashes. There are not as many External Speedlight control options on the 1Dx as the R5 either.

cpharm86 said:

I have not used a flash/strobes for awhile but thought I would try it with the R5. I tried it with the Profoto A1 and Canon 600EX-RT.

With the Profoto I needed to adjust the FEC to -2 and with the Canon 600-EX-RT by about -1/3.

Has anyone used either the Canon speedlights or other brands with the R5 and perhaps give me some tips on the External Speedlight control settings?

Thank you

Click to expand...

I have a set of profoto a1x’s, b10’s and b10+’s and TTL seems to work perfectly for me. I have my camera set in manual and as I increase or decrease the shutter speed Around the sync speed the little h symbol comes on and off in the camera viewfinder for high speed sync.

i used to have canon 600’s but switched to a compete profoto system when the b10’s were announced so I can use them all together with the profoto remote.

Colin46 said:

cpharm86 said:

I have not used a flash/strobes for awhile but thought I would try it with the R5. I tried it with the Profoto A1 and Canon 600EX-RT.

With the Profoto I needed to adjust the FEC to -2 and with the Canon 600-EX-RT by about -1/3.

Has anyone used either the Canon speedlights or other brands with the R5 and perhaps give me some tips on the External Speedlight control settings?

Thank you

Click to expand...

I have a set of profoto a1x’s, b10’s and b10+’s and TTL seems to work perfectly for me. I have my camera set in manual and as I increase or decrease the shutter speed Around the sync speed the little h symbol comes on and off in the camera viewfinder for high speed sync.

Click to expand...

I do see that happens. I still need to stop down the lens or adjust the FEC to -1 or -2. I’m still getting a little overexposed shots without any adjustments.

Colin46 said:

i used to have canon 600’s but switched to a compete profoto system when the b10’s were announced so I can use them all together with the profoto remote.

Click to expand...

Hi Colin, Just wanted to see if you are shooting with the R5 into Capture one? I am having issues with using my r5, Capture one 21 plus my profoto d2's with the profoto air sync. It does not fire the flash on the first shot, this even happens when I am using the shutter remote for the camera. I have had to start using my pocket wizards but I would like to be able to use the profoto air remote. I'd love to know if you have any thoughts. I have updated the firmware on the remote.

Thanks

With Canon r5 and profoto b10 with the profoto ttl-c air controller the only limitation I have come across is that the TTL does not really work when the camera is focused on a subject within 1 meter of the camera. This might account for the wildly different exposures you are getting.

This is mentioned as a known issue on the profoto website on the tech specs page of the air TTL controller https://profoto.com/int/products/air-remotes/remotes/air-remote-ttl-c/techspecs. Other than that it works great.

paulm2020 said:

With Canon r5 and profoto b10 with the profoto ttl-c air controller the only limitation I have come across is that the TTL does not really work when the camera is focused on a subject within 1 meter of the camera. This might account for the wildly different exposures you are getting.

This is mentioned as a known issue on the profoto website on the tech specs page of the air TTL controller https://profoto.com/int/products/air-remotes/remotes/air-remote-ttl-c/techspecs. Other than that it works great.

Click to expand...

Makes sense. Thanks for the link. I never looked for the compatibility on the Profoto site.

cpharm86 said:

I have not used a flash/strobes for awhile but thought I would try it with the R5. I tried it with the Profoto A1 and Canon 600EX-RT.

With the Profoto I needed to adjust the FEC to -2 and with the Canon 600-EX-RT by about -1/3.

Has anyone used either the Canon speedlights or other brands with the R5 and perhaps give me some tips on the External Speedlight control settings?

Thank you

Click to expand...

Hi I just wanted to check that the canon speedlite you were referring to as working with the r5 (albeit needing some FEC) was the canon 600ex-rt and not the 600 exii-rt?

I have the r5 camera and have seen the older flashgun secondhand at a good price and wondered if compatible with the Canon R5. Did you have any other issues?

Also have you used the version 1 of the canon transmitter st -e3-rt on the R5 camera and was it ok?

Many thanks for your help.

JDN said:

cpharm86 said:

I have not used a flash/strobes for awhile but thought I would try it with the R5. I tried it with the Profoto A1 and Canon 600EX-RT.

With the Profoto I needed to adjust the FEC to -2 and with the Canon 600-EX-RT by about -1/3.

Has anyone used either the Canon speedlights or other brands with the R5 and perhaps give me some tips on the External Speedlight control settings?

Thank you

Click to expand...

Hi I just wanted to check that the canon speedlite you were referring to as working with the r5 (albeit needing some FEC) was the canon 600ex-rt and not the 600 exii-rt?

I have the r5 camera and have seen the older flashgun secondhand at a good price and wondered if compatible with the Canon R5. Did you have any other issues?

Also have you used the version 1 of the canon transmitter st -e3-rt on the R5 camera and was it ok?

Many thanks for your help.

Click to expand...

I have the 600-ex-rt not the ii. I also have the original transmitter. Everything works great with the R5. I have no plans on upgrading.

I use the R5 a lot in the studio for photographing people--with several 600ex (not exii) rt flashes in light modifiers and the Canon rt transmitter (ver. 1). I use a manual setting; usually ISO 400 or even 800 with the R5 (so it doesn't tax the strobes; the recycle time increases if they get too hot), f1.8 (face) to f5.6 (full body--need more depth of field) and 1/125th second (not slower, because people move)-- and let the E-TTL figure out the amount of light/flash needed. It works great-- just the same as it did with the 5Ds and regular 5D that I have used before. Perhaps a little better and more consistent in nailing the correct exposure. [There are a few studio headshots in my Galleries here using this set-up.]

avidly lucid said:

I use the R5 a lot in the studio for photographing people--with several 600ex (not exii) rt flashes in light modifiers and the Canon rt transmitter (ver. 1). I use a manual setting; usually ISO 400 or even 800 with the R5 (so it doesn't tax the strobes; the recycle time increases if they get too hot), f1.8 (face) to f5.6 (full body--need more depth of field) and 1/125th second (not slower, because people move)-- and let the E-TTL figure out the amount of light/flash needed. It works great-- just the same as it did with the 5Ds and regular 5D that I have used before. Perhaps a little better and more consistent in nailing the correct exposure. [There are a few studio headshots in my Galleries here using this set-up.]

Click to expand...

Thank you for your input. Your gallery headshots turned out nice.

walkingwithkim said:

Hi Colin, Just wanted to see if you are shooting with the R5 into Capture one? I am having issues with using my r5, Capture one 21 plus my profoto d2's with the profoto air sync. It does not fire the flash on the first shot, this even happens when I am using the shutter remote for the camera. I have had to start using my pocket wizards but I would like to be able to use the profoto air remote. I'd love to know if you have any thoughts. I have updated the firmware on the remote.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Sorry I missed your post

no I don’t remote shoot into capture one, sorry.

TTL is awesome for most on camera flashes because we are walking and moving and the subject may also be moving around. Weddings, events. or even chasing the kids around the park is where TTL shines.

Studio settings is usually a set where you measure the light and once you get it where you want it, you don't need to adjust power unless you move the model or light positions. It takes longer to setup in manual but you will get very good consistency from shot to shot.

The reason TTL can be inconsistent is the light from the flash that bounces back to the camera is what's measured by the camera to know when to shut off the light. ie; a person dressed in white with bright background will be underexposed with flash as well as with the camera itself. If the flash hits a high reflective subject that may also throw off the flash exposure. Same with dark colors, it will want to overexpose because its not reflecting light very much so your blacks will be grey looking due to overderexposing.

So were you shooting the same subject on the same location when you tried the 2 different strobes? I have a couple canon EX600RT's and now use the Flashpoint (godox) strobes. I did some tests when I started to convert over to the Flashpoint brand. The canon and Flashpoint brands were within 1/3 stop using a seckonic meter to measure depending on the Zoom setting of the flash heads. My lights were next to each other on a stand. I measured each at wide zoom, 50mm and 105mm zoom on the flash heads. with the subject about 10 feet from the lights.

My test was really to measure the power of the flashes in manual, both were so close to each other I deemed them the same. Like I said depending how I adjusted the zoom on the flash head is when I saw a little difference from one to the other but almost all shots were within a stop or two to each other. But TTL proved to be about the same too.

Dan W said:

TTL is awesome for most on camera flashes because we are walking and moving and the subject may also be moving around. Weddings, events. or even chasing the kids around the park is where TTL shines.

Studio settings is usually a set where you measure the light and once you get it where you want it, you don't need to adjust power unless you move the model or light positions. It takes longer to setup in manual but you will get very good consistency from shot to shot.

The reason TTL can be inconsistent is the light from the flash that bounces back to the camera is what's measured by the camera to know when to shut off the light. ie; a person dressed in white with bright background will be underexposed with flash as well as with the camera itself. If the flash hits a high reflective subject that may also throw off the flash exposure. Same with dark colors, it will want to overexpose because its not reflecting light very much so your blacks will be grey looking due to overderexposing.

So were you shooting the same subject on the same location when you tried the 2 different strobes?

Click to expand...

Yes I was shooting the same subject on the same location. I really need to do some more testing.

Dan W said:

I have a couple canon EX600RT's and now use the Flashpoint (godox) strobes. I did some tests when I started to convert over to the Flashpoint brand. The canon and Flashpoint brands were within 1/3 stop using a seckonic meter to measure depending on the Zoom setting of the flash heads. My lights were next to each other on a stand. I measured each at wide zoom, 50mm and 105mm zoom on the flash heads. with the subject about 10 feet from the lights.

My test was really to measure the power of the flashes in manual, both were so close to each other I deemed them the same. Like I said depending how I adjusted the zoom on the flash head is when I saw a little difference from one to the other but almost all shots were within a stop or two to each other. But TTL proved to be about the same too.

Click to expand...

**New firmware updates that improve Canon camera compatibility are now available.


- Released an update for A1, A1X, A10, Connect, and Air Remote TTL-C, that is fixing flash auto exposure function (TTL) at short focus distances (<1 meter) for all supported mirrorless Canon.
EOS cameras (EOS R, R5, R6, and 1DX Mk III (in mirrorless mode),
- Added Canon EOS R6 to the list of supported Canon camera models.

paulm2020 said:

With Canon r5 and profoto b10 with the profoto ttl-c air controller the only limitation I have come across is that the TTL does not really work when the camera is focused on a subject within 1 meter of the camera. This might account for the wildly different exposures you are getting.

This is mentioned as a known issue on the profoto website on the tech specs page of the air TTL controller https://profoto.com/int/products/air-remotes/remotes/air-remote-ttl-c/techspecs. Other than that it works great.

Click to expand...

There is a new firmware that might correct this. I haven’t updated yet though to test. **



** New firmware updates that improve Canon camera compatibility are now available.

We have
- Released an update for A1, A1X, A10, Connect, and Air Remote TTL-C, that is fixing flash auto exposure function (TTL) at short focus distances (<1 meter) for all supported mirrorless Canon.
EOS cameras (EOS R, R5, R6, and 1DX Mk III (in mirrorless mode),
- Added Canon EOS R6 to the list of supported Canon camera models.